


Terms

by Dr_Roslin



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003), Battlestar Galactica - All Media Types
Genre: Adama needs to man up, Angst, Fire and Ice, Laura Roslin Needs a Hug, Laura's done with this shit and I don't blame her, No Pregnancy, Safe to Read if Triggered by Pregnancy, Season 4 has all the FEELS, fuck cancer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23299357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Roslin/pseuds/Dr_Roslin
Summary: You know I'm a teacher, right? Or at least I used to be.I pay attention to pronouns.
Relationships: William Adama/Laura Roslin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Terms

**Author's Note:**

> If you're not careful, Season 4 of BSG will rip your heart out.

It's never _you_ who needs me.

 _We_ need you; you tell me. _We_ , the faithful multitudes of humanity who've seen me as some sort of miraculous figure, much as they now do Baltar, who’ve followed me through death and disaster to the cinder called Earth. _We_ , the faithful multitudes, those last dregs of humanity, who've managed to survive the apocalypse and the Exodus and the Flight from New Caprica. _We_ , the faithful multitudes, who've believed in me. Who’ve followed me. Who’ve had faith in my prophesied role even as they disparaged me. 

You remember I'm a teacher, right? Or was, not that long ago. I pay attention to language. I pay attention to pronouns. 'We need you, Laura.' 'The government needs you.' 'The Fleet needs you.' 'The people need you.' _We_ need you. _We_. Not _I_. Never _I_.

 _You_ never need me.

What are we, strangers? 

Or do you think you’re more likely to sway me, if you put it into disinterested terms? 

I'm being selfish. I know. But. 

I gave at the office. 

The only reason I'm still acting, even nominally, as the President of these godsforsaken Colonies, this godsforsaken Fleet, is because you insist. Otherwise you'd get Zarek.

I gave the Fleet everything. Did my best to lead them home safe.

I failed. 

I gave _you_ everything. It's not my fault you didn't want to claim it.

It's never been enough. _I’ve_ never been enough for you. It's always the President you need, never me. At least after Baltar's trial, you saw me. Sometimes. It’s the cancer, I think; you realized, though you don’t want to, that I won’t be here long. After Earth, though, you kept looking to me for something I can't give.

You're the only thing holding me here, you and your adoptive extended family that somehow became mine. I can feel you looking at me. Feel it despite my attempts not to, despite my attempts to shut you out, to keep you on the other side of my protective wall of ice and distance. Feel it, despite my facade of remote friendliness, as I ignore your attempts to re-establish our intimacy. Still, I've managed to resist the urge to give in, to take up the role you need me to play.

I can give you me.

Me. Laura. That’s the most I can promise. That’s all that's left of me. I can't give you the President or the Prophet or the Dying Leader. If that's what you need, leave me be.

If it's _me_ that you need, I can give you that.

I can crawl out from behind the ice for that. For you. These are my terms. If it's really me that you need, if you can live with that, come get me.

I'm right here.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on twitter at @RandomBks. Come say hi!


End file.
